President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has named Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced on Monday, 1 August.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class of 1989, Azurin, 55, is currently the commander of the Northern Luzon Police Area.
It is composed of the regions of Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3), and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Azurin also served as the former commander of the Southern Luzon Police Area which includes the regions of Calabarzon (Region 4-A), Mimaropa (Region 4-B), and Bicol (Region 5).
Throughout the years, he has held star-rank positions in Camp Crame as director of the Directorate for Comptrollership (DC) as well as the Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management (DICTM).
As a newly-promoted police general, Azurin served director of the Maritime Group and later as the regional director of Police Regional Office 1 in Ilocos, the bailiwick of the Marcoses.
He has worked in different capacities such as provincial director of Benguet Province, chief of Task Force Limbas of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG), and deputy operations officer of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF).
As a junior officer, Azurin was assigned to various field units and offices that include the following: 1st Special Action Company in Parang, Maguindanao; 231st Philippine Constabulary (PC) Company in Quezon Province; Police Aviation Security Command — currently the Aviation Security Group (AVSEG); and Criminal Investigation Service Command — currently the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
He has also worked at the Office of Internal Security (OIS); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Health Service; Police Community Relations Group — currently the Police Community Affairs and Development Group (PCADG); as well as the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).